17 week Lab is a hoover!

[Baby02]

Everytime we take him out for a walk he wants to eat everything in site. I am constantly havin to put my hand in his mouth to get things out, leaves pebbles sticks etc. Any advice on how to stop this would be much appreciated.

[jules77]

Nothing unusual about that, labs are 'hoovers'.

Only way is to keep his head up off the ground.

[garner]

Hi Baby02, why not try and give him something to carry when out on his walks, it will take his mind off things.And Labs love to "carry"

[chrissa1]

What about a "kind" muzzle?

[fredpuli47]

Both good suggestions. Console yourself with the thought that leaves and twigs aren't fattening, whereas when he's a bit older he won't settle for anything less than whatever food he can find, and eat as much as he can get away with ! Labs are notorious for eating (or 'hoovering', if you prefer) and you have to keep an eye on their weight.

[lankeela]

If you don't like the idea of a muzzle (the basket ones are best) try a Halti, which goes round the muzzle and you guide the head, so you can keep it off the ground.

Persevere, as they don't like them at first but soon get used to them. Ask anyone you see with a dog wearing one, they will tell you they had a job at first getting the dog to wear it, but if you keep walking forward once on they cannot get their foot up to hook it off.

Its not a real problem with sticks or pebbles, but if he were to eat say a plastic bag or even something poisonous you could end up with a big vets bill or even a dead dog.

[squirtle]

My spaniel used to be terrible at picking everything up - he picked up a dead flat fish on the beach once and i ran round after him until i was so exhausted i collapsed into a heap on the sand....feeling utterly humiliated i went straight off to the pet shop and bought him a muzzle.

We never really put it on him though, as it was clear he was doing it for attention - he still does but in the house with socks, and slippers, draught excluder etc........so whenever we went for a walk after that fish incident.........i started taking a ball which he loves. Now i take 2, and he only gets the second one thrown once he has dropped the first..........he walks past tissues and sheep muck now with out bothering.
He would even rather have the balls than treats..........

So i would get something for your Lab to Carry with him, you can get little dumb bells which they can carry. And just be vigilant when walking him, as our pooch will still try and grab choc wrappers, n stuff. But he only wants them because he knows we try and get them off him - its a bit risky, but if we ignore him, he brings it to you to remind us he has it............

[carmalee]

hate to disagree with the great and the good on this thread as most of the advice is excellent but pebbles and sticks are a problem - I've lost count of the times dogs have been brought into surgery with either a belly full of stones or a stick embedded in throat. Stones also chip teeth -as labs are renown for 'hoovering' get the pup to focus on you, maybe teach it to retrieve a safe item - the trick is to make you more exciting than whatevers out there. Labs are working dogs and love to do a job - as has been stated, watch your pup's weight and if you use food as a treat remember to subtract it at mealtimes. A good idea is to make pup hunt for some of its food - fun, exercise and more natural than a couple of bowls plonked down two or three times a day.. He is only young so is trying to learn about everything. Have fun with hime.

[barb1314]

carmalee is spot on here.I have a 9 month old lab and she loved to pick up everything when she was smaller.I have trained her to 'leave' and she literally spits things out when I say it (if I haven't spotted her pick something up.) even the tiniest of stones.She won't touch anything if I say leave as we walk past something.I used small treats whenever she dropped something for me and gave her loads of praise.She caught on pretty fast and now we don't need treats at all.When we walk she carries one of those rubber balls with rope attached so she is focused on that.
Hope that's of help.